CrImSoN tEaR

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"No! Don't do this to me…"

"Please! I'm begging you… I'm sorry. Please spare me! AAAHH!"

He held her wrist tightly, then pulled her up. He then shifted his hand to her neck, pinning her on the wall.

"Say your last words, MY Kahoko."

"I… w-want… to live…"

He raised the knife, and immediately punctured her heart.

Blood began to drip down, one after another.

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Halloween was soon to arrive. Thus, the students of Gakuen Seiso, occupied themselves in preparing for this special event. Putting up booths, creepy signs and banners, scary masks and other hanging Halloween decoration. Everyone is extremely excited for this upcoming day.

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Except for a guy named Tsukimori Len, who hid himself in one of the musics rooms to practice. Such events, even christmas, nor his own birthday, never interest him.

While taking a break from practicing, he looked over the window and underneath a tree, sits the girl he secretly has his eyes on. The girl who makes his heart pound.

And the one he can see his future with…

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But even once, he cant get himself to talk to her. Nobody has had a good conversation with her. But there were these people who did nothing but t make fun of her.

Yet, it didn't kept from from liking her. And the next thing he next is…

He's absentmindedly walking towards her already.

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He stopped when she gasped at his presence.

"I'm sorry… Did I scare you?"

"No… not at all…"

Len smiled. "It's the first time I heard your voice."

"I don't speak that much… Nobody wants to talk to me anyway." She said, head bowed in embarrassment.

"That's not true. .. I'm here."

She smiled back. A smile he hasn't seen before.

"My names Hino Kahoko… what's yours?"

"Len. Tsukimori Len."

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Since then on, he spends most of his time with her than practicing. They had been in an issue as a couple but tend to ignore it. Also, nobody dares to bully her anymore or else… they'll have to face him.

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"would you like to visit my house sometimes? I bet my sister would like to meet you." She offered with a smile he can't resist.

"Sure. When?"

"Um… when are you free?"

"I'm free today." He answered without looking back at her.

"So.. after school?"

He diverted his gaze at her, then ruffled her hair. "Sure"

she pouted at her now messy hair, yet smiled afterwards.

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After school, he kept his promise and walked home with her to pay a visit.

"That's cool, Tsukimori-kun. I wish I could play it too."

"Would you like me to teach you?"

"Seriously? I would—" she stopped from her tracks as soon as their house came to sight. The once cheerful facade vanished.

"Hino? What's wrong?"

She shook her head. "T-that's my house… over there…" she pointed towards an old two-story house.

"Let's get going then." But Kahoko didn't budge.

"What's wrong?"

"I… don't feel like going home today." She uttered before running away towards a different direction.

"Hino!" it was not in his nature to run, but he has to.

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He found her sitting at the river back, hugging her knees. "Hey… Is something the matter?" he asked.

She didn't reply. She was only staring blankly ahead.

"Is there something bugging you?"

"Tsukimori-kun…" she finally spoke.

"What is it?"

She took a long pause before speaking. "Is it really okay for you to be with me all the time?"

"Of course." He answered without any second thoughts.

"But you know nothing about me…"

"I don't care."

"Later, you might regret ever meeting me…"

"I won't."

"Please, Tsukimori-kun… stay away from me already…"

"I can't do that. I won't leave you."

She turned to him with teary eyes and shouted; "Please, Tskimori-kun!"

"I said I won't!" he shouted back, as furious as she was.

She only kept her stare at him, on the verge f crying. "Why…"

He was taken aback. "Why? That's right… why…" it was his turn to ask himself. Not for long, he came up with an answer.

"That's because… Because I like you, Hino."

She let out a soft gasp. Streaks of tears rolled down her porcelain cheeks. At that moment, she fancy that the word stopped for her, and only for her. She knew she should be pushing him away now, but...

"Thank you."

he shook his head "There's no need for you to thank me."

"No. I want to. Being loved sincerely by the person you admired he most has been my dream. Although I swear to myself never to love again because of what my previous boyfriend had done to me."

He held wrist, pulling her closer to him, sealing her in his arms. "I'll help you get over from your past relationship."

She buried her face in his chest and nodded, releasing the heavy feeling that had been long trapped inside her.

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One day, two days, five days have passed and yet he haven't caught a glimpse of the redhead lass.

"Oi, Tsukimori! Where's you freaky girlfriend? Did she ditch you already?"

"AHAHAHA!"

Len only glared at them. He had been receiving mockery such as this lately.

After another 5 minutes of wait at the meeting place, he stood up. He lost all the patience ion him and decided to head over to their place instead.

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No lights were on albeit it doesn't seem like it's abandoned either. Newly washed clothes of a woman hanged outside to dry. Grasses on the lawn were never trimmed as they were now tall.

Without hesitation, he rang the doorbell. A fine redhead lady, donned in an up-to-toe dress came out. Her face was pale, eye bags forming under her eyes, streaks of wrinkles curved on her forehead, and hair is tied up in a bun with few strands fell at the side.

"Excuse me, young man... How may I help you?" she asked sweetly, approaching Len by the gate.

"Could you be Hino Kahoko's sister?"

"Y-yes… I am… and who might you be?"

"My name is Tsukimori Len. I study in the same school with her. A 2nd year music ed student. Last week, she was supposed to bring me here but something came up so sudden. And today we are supposed to meet, and yet, she didn't showed up. Something unpleasant happening to her played through my mind. And I suppose she could be here." He explained.

Her sister shivered, eyes showed extreme shock.

"W-what are you talking about, young man…?" she stammered.

"Huh?"

"My s-sister, Kahoko… has been dead for ten years already…"

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To be continued...